If I Die Young
by MrsJoshHutcherson112
Summary: Isabel Kabra is now out of prison. How? No one really knows. But after kidnapping Amy, telling her what she wants, then letting her go, the Cahills have to work together to stop the new threat and keep her from reaching her goal. Rated T for...you know...the usual stuff i.e. mild language, violence, kissing, etc. And of course, it's an AMIAN! Hope you like it! [HIATUS]
1. Prologue

**A/N: So, yeah. My first fanfic on here, so no flames please! I don't have the hang of this yet! Lol**

**And I have yet to find a good picture for this story.**

**Me: Oh, Iaaaaaaan...**

**Ian: What.**

**Me: You know what.**

**Ian: Oh, the disclaimer? MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own The 39 Clues series, the Secret Service, or any characters she didn't make up. Are you happy now?**

**Me: Quite. Prologue time!**

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Prologue

Secret Service Agent Bradley Wilson rushed toward Mr. Sullivan's office in a panic, files tucked under his arm, breathing hard. This was an emergency. This information could not wait.

He reached the door and marched in, not bothering to knock. When he set the files on Mr. Sullivan's desk with a _thump_, the director swiveled around in his chair. He glanced at the files, then at the sweating agent. "What are these?"

"Threats, warnings, demands. All by the same person. Read this."

Bradley thrust a file under Mr. Sullivan's nose and he took it, skimming. His eyes widened. "Who do these people think they are? We can't just release a criminal on a whim! Especially a criminal that dangerous."

"Well, if we don't, these people are in for it," Bradley said, picking up two more files and setting them on the desk, facing up. "Amy and Dan Cahill. Live in Attleboro, Massachusetts. If we don't do what this guy's telling us, they could turn up missing, or worse-"

"Don't bug me about what could happen. What exactly did this man demand?"

"Just that we release this woman from prison within a month, and that it stays confidential. Didn't say anything about money or anything. The problem is, this chick's a psychopath. Murdered these kids' mother and plently other people. It still makes me wonder how she got away with it for so long. If we let her go, who says she won't kill again?" Bradley stated.

Mr. Sullivan considered this for a moment. "It seems we don't have a choice. Send out the paperwork for her release. But you don't know who's sending the threats?"

"Not a chlue."

"All right, then. When you leave, make sure youi put these files somewhere safe. We don't want them getting into the wrong hands," Mr. Sullivan said.

"Right away, sir."

Bradley walked out of the office, once again hurrying. Once he reached the elevator, he pressed the down arrow and waited. The door folded open and he stepped inside, pressed the first floorl. As soon as the door closed, he realized he wasn't alone. There was another agent inside with him, one that he didn't recognizel. He looked at the nametag. It read- L. Amato.

"Mrs. Amato." He acknowledged the female agent standing next to him. No reply escaped her lips. Bradley huffed, and continued to stare ahead, waiting for the elevator door to open. It seemed to be taking longer than usual.

He felt a little twinge of pain in his right shoulder, then started to feel dizzy. The last thing he saw before blackness was Amato standing over him, an evil-looking grin on her face.

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**Alrighty, then. Hope you like it! And if you're wondering, the title IS a song, but it'll come waaaaay later in the story. Like, the chapter before the epilogue, or something. So if you want to consider this a songfic, go right ahead :) **

**~Callie~**


	2. Chapter 1: Kidnapped

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And in just half a day? Sweeeet :)**

**And, I'm bored, so I'm just going to go ahead and post the first chapter, instead of waiting for tomorrow :P**

**Disclaimer: I believe you all know what I do and don't own. I declare this chapter...DISCLAIMED!**

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Chapter 1: Kidnapped

I flipped through the channels on the TV. After hearing the news from Ian Kabra, I needed something to keep my mind occupied.

Isabel Kabra was out of prison. The woman who had killed my mother in a fire that my brother and I had narrowly escaped from. After violating her parole by going to England a few years ago, she had been put back in jail. But now she was free. And she was most likely out for revenge.

My brother walked in the living room and sat next to me. The both of us had been through so much. When our grandmother Grace died, our world had been turned upside-down. First, there was the Clue Hunt, a contest for 39 ingredients that, together, created a serum that gave you superhuman strength, courage, cunning, creativity, and intelligence, But, ultimately, it had led to the uniting of five family branches – the Lucians, the Janus, the Ekaterinas, the Tomas, and the Madrigals – who had been fighting for over five hundred years. Then a ruthless organization had resurfaced, the Vespers, who kidnapped our relatives and forced us to do their bidding. They had unwittingly made the family band together even further, bringing us closer than ever. But now that it was all over, we were just…bored. The serum was destroyed, the family was united, the Vespers were defeated; there was nothing left to do until another evil plagued us.

What do you think is going to happen, now that Isabel's out of jail?" Dan said. He was staring at the flat-screen, wondering.

I shrugged. I didn't want to think about it.

"I'll bet Ian and Natalie are shocked." He smirked half-heartedly. "I'd pay to see the looks on their faces."

"This isn't a joke, Dan," I snapped. "We had no parents because of her."

"We had a father-" he began.

"Who wasn't there," I finished.

Dan looked at the ground. I felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It just feels like she didn't fully pay for what she did."

"I know," he replied.

I sighed and settled on a channel. It was the news. I listened to the reporter.

_Twelve years ago, Isabel Kabra set a house fire that killed Hope Cahill. Matched to several other murders, she was sentenced to life in prison. After violating her parole, she was put back behind bars, until recently being released for good behavior. Isabel-_

I turned off the TV. It was too much to bear; the thought of her being released for 'good behavior' after countless, unforgivable crimes.

"I-I'm going to bed," I stammered. "You should, too. It's getting late."

Dan nodded, stood, and walked up the stairs. His bedroom door shut with a muffled _thump_.

I put my head in my hands. I still couldn't believe this had happened. Why would they release her so early? Surely it wasn't behavior-related.

I stood and walked into the kitchen, hunting for something to snack on. I resolved on an apple and sat at the table, eating and thinking, when I heard the phone ring. I jogged over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ames." I smiled when I heard my boyfriend's voice.

"You know it's almost midnight, right?"

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I was watching the news," Evan said. He sounded genuinely concerned. I sighed.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I lied. "I was just about to go to sleep."

"All right, then. Good-night beautiful."

"Bye, Evan." _Click._

I walked up the stairs, headed for the bathroom. I wanted to just wriggle into bed, curl up, and sleep for days, but I forced myself to take a shower first.

Once out, I pulled pajama pants and a t-shirt on and crawled under the covers. I reached over and turned off the lamp that rested on the nightstand. I stared at the ceiling, and after half an hour, when I was just about to fall asleep, I felt a hand cover my mouth. I squealed and looked to my right, and I was staring into a masked face, and cold, caramel-colored eyes. I tried to squirm away, but the intruder held me down. I shuddered as a familiar, chilling voice whispered in my ear.

"You move, you die."

I didn't want to believe what was happening. I _couldn't_ believe what was happening. When I began to struggle, completely ignoring the threat, I came to a not-so-surprising revelation. I was being kidnapped. My thoughts were confirmed as a wet cloth was pressed to my nose and mouth, and I slipped into oblivion.

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**Okay, you _might_ be thinking 'it's too early to have action and cliffhangers and blah blah blah...' But this and the next few chapters kind of set up the rest of the story, you know? Believe me, this is only the beginning *evil laugh***

**~Callie~**


	3. Chapter 2: Prisoners

**A/N: I already have seven reviews? Awesome! :D You people just made my day :P**

**Me: *sigh* I'm going to start running out of characters to do disclaimers. DAN!**

**Dan: What? I'm doing something.**

**Me: Oh? And what would that be?**

**Dan: Um...promise you won't tell?**

**Me nods.**

**Dan: I'm pulling a prank on Natalie.**

**Me: Again? Well, if you don't disclaim this chapter in the next five seconds, I'm telling Natalie exactly how many of Sinead's lab chemicals you just dumped in her shampoo bottle.**

**Dan: No! MrsJoshHutcherson112doesnoto wnThe39Clues! Don't tell her!**

**Me: Fine, fine. You're such a wuss.**

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Chapter 2: Prisoners

The first thing I realized when I woke up was that I was tied to a chair. I tried to ignore the burning sensation in my nose from the chloroform and looked around the room, my panic level increasing slightly. When I saw nothing in the dark room, I let out a frustrated sigh. _Why was I so stupid? I basically let her kidnap me! I should have been more careful instead of assuming the house would be enough to keep her out._

I jumped when a small light came on in front of me, postponing my mental tirade. A high-tech, flat screen monitor slid out of a panel I hadn't noticed, and when it magically turned on, I had to close my eyes to keep from going blind.

"Hello, Amy."

The silky voice made me cringe. I looked at the screen, and wasn't surprised when I saw Isabel's smiling face peering down at me from above. I decided to keep silent, staring blankly at her, but there was a somewhat secret message behind my expression: _I hate you. Let me go, or I will sic Dan on you._

Isabel snickered. "Message received. I'll keep that in mind when I decide to kill you. We can hear your thoughts. I would watch what you want to say, if I were you."

"Whatever. Wait, what do you mean 'we'," I said. I was sincerely hoping she didn't have little Isabel clones waiting for orders behind some curtain.

"Hmmm…that is a great idea," Isabel said in a dreamlike voice, staring towards the ceiling as if she were prepare to go into TV-show-flashback mode. She was clearly mocking me. Okay, this is annoying. Give me my thoughts back. "Not a chance." She sneered. I rolled my eyes.

"Now, would you like to know who is with me?"

"I'm dying to know," I answered sarcastically. "The suspense is killing me."

Ignoring me, Isabel called something that immediately sent chills running down my spine. "Ian, dear, could you come in here for a moment?"

On the screen, Ian Kabra appeared, looking like normal – handsome features, flawless wardrobe, the I-can-buy-anything-I-want expression on his face – but something looked off about him. His eyes said it all: he was scared, and he was telling me I should be too. Then I noticed something else. He had a thin silver chain around his neck.

"Amy," Ian said, his tone warning. He swallowed. "How are you?"

Before I could answer with another sarcastic comment, Isabel snapped "Quiet!" and held up a little remote. Ian flinched. I didn't need to wonder about the silver chain anymore; it was a human shock-collar. Ian nodded as if he could read my thoughts.

Oh…right.

"Amy," Isabel said, getting my attention. "You must be wondering why I brought you here."

_I can think of a few reasons…_ "Revenge?" I guessed. This made her laugh slightly, but it stopped as abruptly as it had started.

"No," she said coldly. "You have something I need."

I scoffed. "What do you want? The serum was what you went after before. You didn't get it the first time, and you won't get it now. It's destroyed. And the ring is locked up somewhere so secure even your top Lucian operatives can't break in. Other than that, there's nothing else I have that you would want."

Ian shot me another warning look.

"Oh, yes there is," Isabel said. _Me and my stupid thoughts…_

She nodded. "You remember your brawl with the Vespers, don't you?" Just hearing the name made me shiver. "You should also remember the artifacts they demanded of you. After they were defeated, you took back those artifacts."

_No, no, no!_

"So," she continued, clearly amused by my panic. "You will give them to me. If not, well…we'll see what happens. You have a while to make your decision, of course, but it won't be long. And," she said, grinning, "you'll have company to help you decide."

Isabel opened up a control panel on the wall behind her and pressed a small blue button. A door opened to my right, and on the monitor, she shoved Ian out of view of the screen. At the same time, Ian stumbled through the door that had just opened, and it sealed shut with a _thump_. I looked at Isabel with wide eyes. Sure, Ian and I had been good enough allies when the Vespers had attacked, but that didn't mean I had to like him now. It seems horrible, but he hasn't tried to kill _you _over and over again, now has he? Once again, she sensed my discomfort and smiled.

"I'm sorry, darlings, but I must get going. Have fun on your…date." The screen went black, and I was alone with my own fury and my former betrayer.

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**It's reply time!**

**Agent Get Amy And Ian Together: Yeah, I know. I hate Evan too, but he'll be gone soon enough :D**

**Reginaa2111: Lol, I know, but it sets up the rest of the story, so it works.**

**AmyCahillfan: Done! :)**

**shiningwaves: Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I believe I just wrote ANOTHER cliffie. Actually, I think most of the next few chapters end in them O.O I guess I like writing that way...**

**May the Force be with you! :D (I'm a Star Wars geek)**

**~Callie~**


	4. Chapter 3: Plan

**A/N: Okay, since shiningwaves is apparently, like, _dying_, and since I already have the first seven chapters typed up on my computer, I'll go ahead and post again :) (Plus, I'll be extremely bored until 2:00, so...)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues. If I did, Amy and Ian would already be married and have kids. And the idea of Danatalie would never have happened :P**

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Chapter 3: Plan

We stared at each other, neither of us finding anything useful to say. The last time I had seen Ian was when we had had our final fight with the Vespers. Now that it was over…it was just awkward. I finally broke the ice with something that should have been obvious.

"Could you at least untie me?"

He sighed and strode toward me, hands shaking from either anger or nerves; most likely both. He undid the knot and I stood up to stretch and rub the circulation back into my wrists.

"I'm sorry she did this to you," Ian said. "I would've stopped her earlier, but she found me before I found her, as you can see." He fingered the silver chain. "But really, I am truly sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you."

I cleared my throat and nodded, not quite trusting my voice yet. If I tried to speak, my words would most likely come out in stutters. Not because of Ian, of course, but because of the situation I was in and the fact that I couldn't see any way to escape from this little cell. My anxiety doubled.

"Trying to find a way out?" Ian guessed.

"Mhmm. Didn't need to read my thought that time, did you?"

He laughed. "No. Not really."

Ian was trying to lighten the mood, which I was grateful for. Maybe it would help me calm down.

"There isn't anything we can do to escape, is there," I said. Ian looked left and right casually, almost like he was dying for me to ask a certain question. "Unless you have a plan," I added.

Then he looked at me, flashing his brilliant smile. "Oh…a plan, you say? I have never heard of such a thing. After all, we are trapped in this dark prison with the world's most horrible woman as our warden." He winked.

"Quit it, I need to get home before Dan starts freaking out," I scolded, but I was trying to stifle my giggles.

"All right, I do know one way to escape," he said. "Being underground, this prison has a less-than-great ventilation system. There are vents all along the ceiling. You might be small enough to fit through them, but I'm not."

That wiped the smile off my face. I glared at him. "You're coming, too. I'll need all the help I can get."

Ian shook his head. "What matters most is that you get out of here. I'll find my own way out. Isabel will eventually figure out you've escaped, but hopefully you'll be long gone by then. And don't worry," he added. "This won't be the last time you see me."

I sighed. "Fine. But when you do get out, come straight to the Command Center. I think it's time to move those artifacts again."

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**I'm sorry if that counts as another cliffhanger, but I can't help it! It was already previously typed on my computer from a month ago, so I just posted it!**

**~Callie~**


	5. Chapter 4: Escape

**A/N: So...I'mma go ahead and do what shiningwaves suggested I do: Post all the chapters I have written. But after that, I don't know when I'll next post, because I'm usually a kind of slow updater. Like, once every few days. So if I leave chapter seven on a cliffhanger, shiningwaves, sorry. You'll just have to deal XD And no, it's not that bad. It actually motivated me to post faster! And even though there probably won't be any more author's notes, I'll still disclaim the chapters. K? :)**

**Me: Baby, baby, baby oooh!**

**Ham: Dude! Stop singing Justin Beaver! It's freaking annoying!**

**Me: Ahhh, I knew that would get you over here. Would you do the honors?**

**Ham: *sighs* MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own The 39 Clues. Why are you obsessed with that guy, anyway?**

**Me: *gasps* How could you not like Josh Hutcherson? He's so amazing! *clears throat* Like, baby, baby, baby OOOOOH!**

**Ham: AGH!**

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Chapter 4: Escape

Coming up with a plan was the easy part. Carrying it out was proving to be harder than we thought.

"A little higher," I grunted.

"I can't go any higher!"

"Okay, put me down."

Ian set me back on the ground. He bent over, breathing hard.

"Oh, come on! I'm not _that_ heavy," I whined. We were wasting time and my patience was running thin.

"No, no, it's not you, Love. I'm not as in shape as I used to be," Ian explained. I huffed.

"I told you not to call me that," I growled. "Come on, I need to get home. Dan and Nellie are probably worried sick. Well…" I corrected myself, "Nellie is probably more worried than Dan…"

"All right, up we go," Ian said suddenly. He lifted me without warning. I gasped.

"The only way we can get you up high enough is if I toss you higher. You'll have to grab the lip of the vent and hoist yourself the rest of the way," he said. I nodded.

Ian raised me as far as he could, then threw me up the remaining two feet. I barely caught the edge. Then I felt my fingers slip, and I fell back to the ground, landing on Ian. We both groaned. I got up and turned to see if he was okay. Blood was tricking down the side of his forehead.

"Oh god, Ian, I'm sorry," I said, helping him to his feet.

"One more time," he said.

This time, I didn't fall. Something pulled me down.

"Ouch! Again?" I yelled. When I stood, I turned, and instantly regretted it. I had a face-full of security guard suit.

The guard lifted me in the air as if I weighed nothing. I kicked and punched at him, but he was either immune to pain or simply couldn't feel it. After all, I wasn't in a very good position to fight.

We reached a door and I was unceremoniously dumped into a different room, this time with no vents. And Ian wasn't thrown in with me.

I wheeled around just as I heard a _click_, which meant the door was now locked. I turned back around and scanned the room, looking for a new way to escape. I got so desperate, that when I saw a door on the other side of the room, I went to it and tried turning the knob. Imagine my surprise when the knob actually turned and the door opened. I peered out into a hallway.

Looking both directions first, I took an educated guess and went left. I walked about a hundred yards before coming to an intersection. I chose the right path. Another two hundred yards and I sensed a change in the air. The only reason I didn't know I was outside was because it was so dark. There was a new moon tonight. What gave it away were the crickets' chirping and the slight breeze.

I stopped myself before I laughed, which would've given me away. But it was so ironic that the 'all powerful' Isabel would have such poor security. I gathered myself and looked around, taking in my surroundings. I saw a dirt road, and the North Star. Deciding on a direction, I headed east. I thanked my lucky stars (no pun intended) that Dan and I had done navigational training a few years ago, and that I still remembered most of it. If we hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to escape.

Fifty yards down the road I stopped in my tracks. A terrifying thought had just gone through my head: _What if Isabel_ let _me escape?_

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**~Callie~**


	6. Chapter 5: Artifacts

**Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues.**

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Chapter 5: Artifacts

I burst through the door of the mansion, terrified and soaking wet. It had started raining when I was halfway home and I ran the rest of the way. But the scary part was when someone had started following me. That's when I ran even faster.

Dan and Nellie looked up at me, shocked. Nellie jumped up and ran to me.

"You okay, kiddo? You were gone for a long time. I was seriously freaking out! Like, I heard something, and I went to have a look, prepared to use my awesomeness, and when I walked through the door you were gone. I panicked, and then Dan came in and started freaking out, and-"

"Isabel kidnapped me."

Nellie was silent after that. Then I looked over at Dan. He was sitting on the couch with a book in his hands.

Wait…a book?

"Daniel Arthur Cahill, give me that back!" I lunged for my diary and he scampered away. Nellie held me back so I wouldn't accidentally kill him.

"You still have a diary? You're nineteen," Nellie said.

"I know. It's from a few years ago, and I don't know how he found it," I replied. Then I looked at her, completely serious again. "Also, someone followed me here."

"Hold on, back up. Start from the beginning."

We sat on the couch and I explained how Isabel had taken me to the underground prison and demanded I hand over the items from a few years ago that the Vespers had once wanted. Then I told her that Ian was still trapped there, and how he helped me escape. I guess at that point of the story is when I really started crying. Ian was still stuck there, probably being tortured or something, all because he helped me get home. And it was all my fault.

"Hey, hey, you can't blame yourself for that," Nellie soothed. Then she forced me to look at her. A slow smile formed on her face. "You still like him, don't you?"

I sniffed and stared at her. "What? No I don't! I just don't like to think of him still underground and alone, with no way to escape. Who knows what Isabel's doing to him because he helped me!"

Nellie nodded. "Mhmm. And your _positive_ there was no other way out?"

"Yeah."

"Think again. Ian's here."

I whipped around just as Ian trudged through the front door. His hair was caked with mud, and the gash in his forehead was bleeding way worse now. There was a purple bruise under his right eye, and his shirt was ripped, but other that that, he looked perfectly fine, considering he just came from a hidden prison fifteen miles away.

He smiled. "Hello, love."

I couldn't even manage to tell him not to call me that. All I said was, "How?"

"How, what?"

"How did you get away?"

"Oh, it was fairly simple. You see, the door to my cell was wide open, so I just walked out," Ian explained. "Of course, some guards chased me for a while, but they were overweight and slow, so it wasn't hard. I basically followed you back here."

"That was you?" I punched him in the shoulder. "Damn it, Ian, you scared me half to death! I thought some psycho killer was after me."

"Well, at least you're both safe," Nellie said. "You think it's time to move the painting, map, astrolabe and what-not now, or later?"

"I think we should do it now. The sooner, the better, right?" I said.

Ian and Nellie agreed, and we went to find Dan.

When we got to the Cahill Command Center in the attic, all the memories started coming back. Searching for possible Vespers, figuring out which artifacts they wanted, contacting other Cahills…all of it. It was like some horrible slideshow in my mind.

Ian seemed to remember, too. "It's been so long," he murmured.

We gathered around the biggest computer monitor and I pressed the power button. It hummed to life and it's light filled the entire room with a bluish hue. I typed in a Skype address and none other than Jonah Wizard appeared on-screen, flashing his signature smile at us. "Yo, wassup cuz?"

"Hey Jonah," I said. "We need to ask a favor. You remember what happened a few years ago, right?"

He flinched. "Yeah. How could I forget?" His gangster slang was instantly gone.

"We need to move the artifacts again. The Caravaggio, the map, the astrolabe, the diamond, all of them. Get them someplace where virtually nobody can touch them, okay? We're counting on you."

Jonah mock-saluted me. "Will do, boss."

I smiled. "Thanks, Jonah."

The screen went dark.

Dan crossed the room and flipped a light switch so we weren't stuck in the dark. He walked back over and asked, "Now what?"

I thought about it. There wasn't much else we could do. "Sit and wait?"

Ian piped up. "I have a better idea," he said. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes now, as if he'd just won the lottery.

Dan sighed. "Of course you do."

We all huddled together as Ian told us his next brilliant idea.

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**~Callie~**


	7. Chapter 6: Library

**These chapters just keep getting longer and longer, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues, Mustang Convertibles, the Library of Congress, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky, Ukraine, Dnevniki, or the Kullberg Clock. I don't own a lot of things :3**

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Chapter 6: Library

"WHAT?" Dan exclaimed as we walked up the stairs. "No, no, no, no, no! Not another library! You can't make me!" He leaned against the 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible with his arms crossed, a mixture of determination and disgust on his face.

Ian rolled his eyes. "A bit dramatic, aren't we Daniel?"

If looks could kill, Ian would have burst into a cloud of dust right then and there. "It's _Dan_," Dan corrected.

"Well, _Dan_, if you would like to _contribute_ to possibly saving the world, I suggest you get your lazy bum up these steps and through that door before the she-devil arrives here to stop us first, which very well could happen, considering-"

"All right, all right, I get it, I'm coming. But just so you know," Dan griped, "I could always keep her away with my amazing ninja skills."

Ian chuckled and followed Dan, Nellie, and I inside. I couldn't help but gasp in awe at just how huge this place actually was. I mean, I'd never been to the Library of Congress before, but still…

"Okay, guys. What exactly are we looking for here?" Nellie asked. I was beginning to wonder the same thing.

"Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky," Ian said.

Dan fumed. "What did you just call me?"

"It's a _person_, Daniel!" Ian yelled. Before Dan could unleash some "ninja fury," Ian continued. "He was a Russian geochemist from St. Petersburg. I have a hunch…" He trailed off.

We walked forward until we were stopped by a plump, mustached security guard.

"Hey, what do you kids think you're doing here?" the guard asked. "Library's closed."

"What do you mean, closed?" Ian demanded.

"Didn't you here? Some idiot broke in and stole some highly classified info. No one's gettin' in until we find out who done it." The guard waddled away.

Ian shuddered. "That guard has _horrid_ grammar issues…"

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Dan said.

I grabbed his shoulder. "Are you _nuts_? What if we get caught?"

Dan shrugged. "Then we make a run for it. Honestly, Amy, it's like you've never done this before." I let him go and focused on our surroundings. How were we supposed to get around without being noticed?

Nellie waved a hand, gesturing for us to follow. "Come on." She checked over her shoulder, then leaped against the right wall, pressing herself as flat as possible. She looked around the corner again, then shimmied down the hall, checking through every doorway before continuing. We finally reached the Natural Sciences section.

"Okay, Ian, you seem to know what to look for. Lead the way!" Dan said.

Ian glared at him, but headed forward. "Okay, search in the V section for Vernadsky. He was born in Russia, but spent most of his childhood in Ukraine."

We scoured the shelves, occasionally glancing around for any guards or police, but saw no one. Then I accidentally knocked a book off of its shelf, landing with a _thump_ on the floor. Everyone froze.

"Way to go, Amy," Dan whispered. I was sure my face was red as I slowly bent down to pick up the old book. I looked at the spine: _Dnevniki 1917-1921_.

"Hey, Ian, come look at this."

Ian sauntered over, took the book in his hands. "This is one of his diaries." He looked at me. "He would have been in his fifties."

Ian flipped through the pages, which were all in Russian, but one phrase stood out – almost as if it had been in _English_.

"Whoa, whoa, go back," I told him, turning the pages back to where I thought I saw the words. "There." I pointed to something scribbled in the margins.

Found J.C.; Believed to have Kullberg C #4854

"J.C. I wonder who that is?" I said.

"Or _what_ it is," Dan agreed. He snatched the book out of Ian's hands. His eyes lit up. "Hey, does 'Kullberg' remind you of anything?" He was bouncing with excitement.

I sighed. "What?"

"The Kullberg Clock," he said proudly. It took a few seconds for his answer to make any sense. My eyes widened.

"That's one of the artifacts! And J.C…. could that be…?" I trailed off.

Dan looked up. "James Cahill."

I nodded. "But we'll worry about that later. Ian, why is this man so important? What's his connection to Isabel? They weren't even born in the same century."

Ian looked distant, like he was staring off into space. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Ian?"

His eyes snapped back into focus. "I'm sorry, love. What did you say?"

Dan snickered and I gritted my teeth, but decided to let it slide this time. "Why do we need to know about Vernadsky?"

"Oh, that's easy." Ian looked me in the eyes. "He is Isabel's great-grandfather."

"Wait, what?" Dan asked, bewildered. "How's that possible? This guy's Russian. Isn't Isabel, like, British?"

"Well, yes, but she's not _just_ British," Ian explained. "Her grandfather was also Russian, but he married a woman from London."

"Hold up, how do you know all this?" Nellie demanded. She was nose to nose with him. "You seem to know a lot about your mother's side of the family. You know, the _Vesper_ side."

It seemed like Nellie was going to end up going just as ninja as Dan would, so I stepped in between them. "Come on, Nellie, it's fine." I turned to Ian. "But how is that supposed to help us?"

Before I could get a legitimate answer from the Lucian, a voice rang out behind us. "Hey!"

I turned my head just long enough to catch a glimpse of a blue uniform before Ian grabbed my hand and started running.

* * *

**This one took some research. Yeah, like, on the Ukrainian dude. It might not make sense, but it will later. Hopefully. :)**

**~Callie~**


	8. Chapter 7: Bodyguard

**I don't own The 39 Clues, Nepal, prison, or the iPhone.**

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Chapter 7: Bodyguard

_Note to self: Always watch where you're going._

I fell on my back, holding my forehead, where I was sure I would have a nasty bruise later. Stupid bookshelf.

"Come on!" Ian growled, yanking me back up. We ran off after Nellie and Dan.

"Stop!" came a voice from behind us. I turned long enough to catch a glimpse of the over-weight security guard, huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with us.

"No thanks, dude," Dan threw over his shoulder.

We barreled past a few more surprised guards, and when they got over their shock, they jumped up and joined the chase. Lucky us. More people to run away from.

I looked ahead, and skidded to a halt just as I was about to run into my brother. When I looked ahead to see why he'd stopped, I saw nothing but a giant wall. The four of us swiveled around, frantically searching for a way out, but security surrounded us wherever we turned. We were cornered.

"Hey, guys." Dan waved at them casually, a grin on his face. "Whatcha doin'?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. And what I saw surprised me. On the roof, visible in the glass skylight, was a black-clad figure. He/she looked down at me with strikingly blue eyes.

The person cautiously removed a section of glass and I made no signs of ever noticing them. They took out a gun, fired it at the opposite wall. It was a grappling hook, but it was being used as a zip line. The figure hooked a piece of metal bent into a 90 angle over the line and shot down, toward us. That's when Dan noticed. He glanced at me and we did our mind-meld thing.

_Who is THAT?_ his eyes asked.

_No idea,_ I beamed to him. _Let's just hope they're on our side._

Just then, the person let go of the metal piece, landed a kick to one guard's stomach, and stood, getting in a fighting position. Two guards charged. The figure grabbed one's arm, and threw him over their shoulder. As the man flew around, his foot kicked the other guard in the jaw, and they were both flung into the Renaissance Period.

More guards started, but all the figure had to do was get in another stance and the greatest library security in the U.S took off in the opposite direction.

We all stood there, dumbstruck. Then Dan yelled-

"That was so totally NINJA!"

It was then that the figure in front of us removed the mask obscuring their face. I was honestly a little shocked to see it was a girl. She had dark brown curly hair hanging down past her shoulders, and I had never seen bluer eyes than hers. She looked at Dan.

"Ninjas?" she asked. "What are you, twelve?"

"I'm sixteen," Dan grumbled. "And ninjas are awesome."

Seeing the hurt look on his face made me want to come to his defense, but something kept me from opening my mouth.

I heard Ian suck in a breath. "I _know_ her."

I looked at him. "Who is she?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But I've seen her before. And I know I didn't like her."

Nellie spoke. "Who are you?"

The girl stared at Nellie. "Fiske sent me."

"Fiske?" Dan asked, bewildered. "Why did he send you?"

"He said you needed help."

"And how would he know that?" I demanded. "Isn't he on a mission in Nepal?"

"Er," Nellie started, raising her hand slowly. "I sort of told him."

"But that still doesn't explain it," Ian said. He looked the girl dead in the eyes. "State your name."

She glared back. "You have no-"

"_Name._" He said it more forceful this time, like if she didn't answer, she'd be shot with a poison dart in a nanosecond.

She huffed, folded her arms. "Eliza Littman."

"Age," Ian said.

"Twenty-two."

Ian stared at her, deep in thought, but said nothing.

"So, what now?" I asked. "Are you going to leave?"

"My orders are to stay with you and keep you safe from harm," Eliza replied. "You could say I'm like your…your bodyguard. And I'm afraid you're stuck with me 'til you do whatever it is you need to do. But first, I think we should get out of here. I saw police cars from the roof."

We didn't need to be told twice. We ran out of there as fast as we could.

I didn't exhale until we were coasting down the interstate in Grace's convertible. Not really with an exact destination; just away from that building. Nellie had the radio tuned in to the local news channel, and we got to listen to all the chaos we'd caused. Then a light next to me caught my eye, and I turned to see Dan staring intently at something in his left hand, with his iPhone in his right hand, with the flashlight app going. But the thing in his hand was a book. And it was some familiar brown color… I gasped.

"Dan, you stole the diary?" I screeched. "What is wrong with you!"

"I figured we might need it later," he replied, with a shrug. "And it's not like I won't give it back."

"Yes, Daniel, but you didn't steal from just any library," Ian said. He ignored Dan's glare and continued. "You stole from the Library of Congress. You could possibly get sent to prison."

Dan's glare faded. "P-prison?" he squeaked.

"Yes," I said. Then I turned to look out the window. _Great,_ I thought. _Now I have a thieving brother to take care of, too. Wonderful._

* * *

**Okay, I've never been to the Library of Congress, or anything like that, so I probably messed a few things up. And I'm not to sure about that action scene, either. Let me know what you think, though! R&R! **

**~Callie~**


	9. Chapter 8: Hotel

**A/N: Okay, yes, I do have some excuses, but I'm sure you don't care. So I'll just say I was extremely busy, yada yada yada, and I hope you'll forgive me :P Mostly, though, I was just lazy. I started typing this chapter a week ago, but didn't finish until today. And this is the first real Amian chapter! YAY! But no, they don't kiss and make up or anything. The time will come, young grasshoppers.**

**Disclaimer: You all know it.**

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Chapter 8: Hotel

We didn't stop driving until Nellie announced she was tired and couldn't go another mile without falling asleep, so we pulled into the nearest hotel and rented five separate rooms. Ian had had the foresight to make us all pack a suitcase in case we couldn't go back to the mansion for a few days, and now I was silently thanking him for it.

I plopped my suitcase on the queen-size bed, and sat next to it, examining the room. It had cream-colored walls with gold trim. Across from the bed on the opposite wall was a 72" flat screen on top of a dresser, and next to that was a desk with a lamp. I took my laptop out of the suitcase and opened the lid, pressed the power button. Just as I was typing up an e-mail to send to Uncle Fiske, someone knocked on the door, making me jump. I slowly stood up, walked to the door, and turned the knob. Ian stood in the doorway. What was _he_ doing here?

"May I come in?" he asked. I moved to the side to he could enter. I closed the door and followed him. I sat on the bed while he pulled the chair away from the desk. He turned it around and straddled it, resting his arms on the back. He looked me in the eye for a few seconds before I decided to speak.

"So…" Yep, that's me. The ever-talkative one.

"How are you?" Ian said suddenly.

I blinked. "What?"

"How have you been the past couple of years? It's not like we had a chance to catch up recently. I was just wondering how you're doing," he explained.

"Oh," I said. I wasn't expecting _that_. A "Your brother is an annoying buffoon" maybe, or "That shirt doesn't go with those pants" or something along those lines. But _Ian Kabra_, wanting to know about _my_ life? Please.

"Uh, well…" I didn't know what to say exactly. "I got accepted to Harvard last year…I finally got Dan to stop bringing wild animals into the house…Evan-"

Ian made a sound similar to that of a growl mixed with a cough. I looked up at him. "What?"

He forced a smile onto his face. "Nothing. Go on."

I decided to change the subject. "Anyway, why are we interested in Vernadsky in the first place? The fact that he was Isabel's great-grandfather doesn't tell us much."

"Honestly…" he started. "I'm not quite sure. But while I was stuck in the underground prison following Isabel's orders against my will, I found file lying on the ground in front of the torture chamber **(A/N: Torture chamber. Nothing spells psycho with a capital P like she does!)**. Of course, I could only read a few paragraphs before one of her assistants stormed into the room. But I have a feeling all of this is connected to him somehow. That's what our main goal is right now, aside from keeping the artifacts out of the wrong hands."

I nodded. _I guess that makes sense…_

We were silent again, until I heard Payphone by Maroon 5 playing from Nellie's room.

I smiled. "I love this song."

Ian listened intently for a few seconds.

_I'm at a payphone trying to call home_

_All of my change I spent on you_

_Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong_

_Where are the plans we made for two?_

_Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember_

_The people we used to be_

_It's even harder to picture_

_That you're not here next to me_

"It's okay, I guess," Ian said. What it just me, or was he starting to look uncomfortable?

_You say it's too late to make it_

_But is it too late to try?_

_And in the time that you wasted_

_All of our bridges burned down_

_I've wasted my nights_

_You turned out the lights_

_Now I'm paralyzed,_

_Still stuck in that time_

_When we called it love_

_But even the sun sets in paradise_

"Erm, perhaps we should tell her to turn it off before people start to complain," Ian suggested. He was already up and headed for the door. I stood and followed him out.

Ian knocked on the door.

"What?" came the reply on the other side.

"Rude," Ian whispered, then, louder, "Could you turn it down? People are trying to sleep."

"Sorry, kiddo!"

The music got softer and softer until I could barely hear it.

"Since when did she start calling me 'kiddo'?" Ian asked. I shrugged.

We stopped at my door. I yawned. Ian noticed.

"Go to sleep, love. I'll see you in the morning," Ian said.

I glared at him. "Stop calling me that."

He chuckled. "We both know that will never happen."

I sighed. "Night, Ian."

That night, I didn't sleep at all.

* * *

**Ahhhhh :D I love love. It's so fun to write about, yet so frustrating when you can't just make 'em get married right away.**

**~Callie~**


	10. Chapter 9: Disappearance

**A/N: New chappie time! And this time, I have legitimate excuses for not posting.**

**A) On Saturday, I was basically a construction worker all day long.**

**B) On Sunday, I was out of town, so I didn't have access to my laptop. :(**

**Replies are at the end of the chapter :)**

**Me: Hamiltooooon!**

**Hamilton: I already did it!**

**Me: Did you? Oh, well. Do it again.**

**Hamilton: No.**

**Me: *crosses arms* Ex_cuse_ me?**

**Hamilton: MrsJoshHutcherson112 doesn't own The 39 Clues.**

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Chapter 9: Disappearance

"AMY! WAKE UP NOW!"

I sat up in the bed, let my eyes adjust to the brightness of the morning sun shining through the window. I guess I _did_ get some sleep after all.

Dan's voice had sounded so frantic, I ran out the room as fast as I could. "What?" I asked.

"Nellie's gone!" he exclaimed.

"Crap…" I groaned. "Are you sure?"

"I knocked on the door, like, fifteen times. I'm pretty sure," he responded.

"What's going on out here?" came Ian's voice from behind me.

"Apparently, Nellie's not in her room. Dan's freaking out," I told him.

"Of _course_ I'm freaking out! Why aren't you?" He pointed a finger at me.

"Because she's probably just getting breakfast downstairs or something. She's not one to wait on us to get up. I'm sure we'll run into her," I said. Dan didn't hesitate to run to the elevator and press the button. He didn't even hold the doors open! _What's gotten into him?_

"What's his problem?" Eliza must have heard all the yelling.

"I have no idea," I said. "I guess we have to take the stairs, then."

"Go ahead. I have to take care of something," Eliza said. With that, she disappeared back in her room.

As Ian and I started down the stairs, that's when I really noticed him. His hair was stuck at odd angles, and he had bags under his eyes. His shirt was wrinkled slightly. Then I looked at my own attire. I hadn't had time to change and was still in my pajama pants and T-shirt.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked.

He shook his head, but didn't say anything.

We walked down another flight of steps, then I said –

"Was Natalie kidnapped, too?"

Again, Ian shook his head. "Isabel seemed to ignore her completely. If I didn't know any better, she looked slightly offended as I was dragged out the door."

I giggled at the mental image, then had another thought. "How exactly did she capture you? You were apparently conscious."

"I suppose you had the luxury of being knocked out. She injected me with a substance that temporarily paralyzes you, but you can still feel, see, hear, and smell everything. I felt the sharp gravel scrape my back when she took me out to the awaiting SUV. Then I was thrown into the – " he shuddered, " – cargo hold of the plane for the nine hour flight to Logan airport. Then of course, the collar…" I could make out a faint line on his neck where the electric loop had been.

I was about to say something else, but at that moment we reached the lobby, where Dan was marching toward us.

"Still no Nellie," he reported. Then he looked at us weirdly. "Why are you guys holding hands?"

"What the – " I said, then looked down. Somehow, my hand had slipped into Ian's. I yanked it away quickly, then speed-walked to the breakfast area. Dan was right. Nellie wasn't there.

I turned around. "You didn't see her walk past you or anything? Maybe she took a different elevator back up."

"I sent Eliza a text. She checked, too. Nellie isn't anywhere in the hotel," Dan said.

Still determined not to look at Ian, I made a leader-like decision. "Okay, with or without her, we still have to figure out what Isabel is up to. So if she's not back here by sundown, we have to leave. She can take care of herself. We still need to concentrate on what we're doing."

"But we can't just – " Dan started.

"Dan. We have to," I said.

He crossed his arms, but said nothing.

When the sun went down, we had been sitting in the hallway waiting for Nellie to get back for hours. Eliza had left around noon, saying she needed to meet with somebody a few blocks away. This girl was making a lot of alarms in my head go off, but Ian hadn't said anything about it, so I didn't dwell on it too much.

My watch beeped, announcing it was 9:00. The sun had finally set, and there was still no sign of Nellie.

* * *

**Bad Amy! You have a boyfriend! (Soon to be ex, might I add ;)**

**Replies:**

**TheUltimateArtist: I. Freaking. Love. Him. He's the hottest guy on planet Earth.**

**bassethound1021: Yeah, but sadly, she's an important part of the story. And I needed a good excuse for her to be a main character. You'll see :)**

**shiningwaves: Lol XD I just love love. I can't explain it any simpler than that.**

**Michelle01142000: Okay, I'mma go chapter by chapter, here.**  
**Pro.- Interesting theory, but no :) It'll make sense soon enough.**  
**Ch2- Trust me, I hate him too. And I reaaaally hope he's the Vesper Mole.**  
**Ch3- Yeah, but she has a boyfriend :/ I couldn't make that happen without it...you know...**  
**Ch8- Ikr! She still has a boyfriend though. And since Ian knows that, he probably wouldn't do it anyway for fear of getting slapped :3**  
**Thanks for reviewing every single one of my chapters! :D**

**I'll try to post again sooner this time. But it's kinda hard, considering my busy life. Plus, school starts Thursday :/ It'll be even harder then. Oh! I'm also going to start a 39 Clues/Percy Jackson crossover, if you'd be interested in that. Bye!**

**~Callie~**


	11. Chapter 10: Breakup

**A/N: You know, I seem to get mad at myself a lot. Especially the past few days. Why? Because I haven't posted this for almost a week! So I suggest this - whenever I say I'll post on a certain day, just tack on another week and expect it then. Because I am just disgusted with myself right now. To apologize, I made this chapter longer than all the others, AND I made it an Amian chapter! :D OOOOH, you'll _really_ like this one! XD I was going to wait and do this later, but I just couldn't help it. You will see what I'm talking about...**

**Me: Erm...NATALIE! PRADA JUST DISCONTINUED THEIR PURSES!**

**Natalie: WHAT?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!**

**Me: HAHA! Anyway, now that you're here, why don't you do the disclaimer for us all?**

**Natalie: *Takes out dart gun* Oh, I would simply _love_ to! *shoots* MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own The 39 Clues. *blows on muzzle and walks away***

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Chapter 10: Break-up

The stewardess wheeled her cart down the aisle, asking the passengers if they wanted refreshments. When she got to our seat, I thanked her, but refused. She rolled away, and I turned to Ian.

"Okay, why are you so upset about it?" I whispered. The look he gave me was one of loathing and disgust.

"You could have prevented bringing that filthy creature with us. That _thing_ you call a pet has tried to murder me countless times," Ian growled.

I raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell me you're still afraid of _Saladin_. The only reason you got scratched yesterday is because you took his food and dumped it out the hotel window!"

Ian shrugged. "I figured it would go like this: No food, cat starves."

I hit him in the shoulder. "Killing Saladin would just make me super pissed at you. Do you really want to deal with that?" I answered before he could open his mouth. "No. You don't. So don't kill the cat, and all will be fine."

Ian mumbled something that I couldn't hear, and before I could ask "What?" he stuck his ear buds in his ears, effectively ending the conversation. So I leaned across the aisle and tapped Dan on the shoulder.  
"Find anything useful yet?"

Dan took out his ear buds. "Hmm?"

I rolled my eyes. "Never mind."

He shrugged and resumed playing Angry Birds.

I sighed and decided to do something about my boredom. I texted my best friend, Sinead Starling.

_Hey. What are you up to?_

The reply came ten seconds later.

_Amy! I almost dropped the cylinder of chlorine gas! I could have blown up the guest house!_

Oops. I typed: _Sorry!_

_It's fine. Where are you, anyway?_

I mentally smacked myself. How could I have forgotten to tell Sinead?

_We're flying to Ukraine._

_Ukraine?! Are you INSANE? Who's with you?_

_Dan, Nellie, Ian, and some girl named Eliza._

_Oh. Wait, got to go! Ned and Ted just arrived!_

_Kay. Ttyl._

I was ready to turn my phone off when my phone vibrated. I unlocked it, went to my messages, and saw it was a text from Evan. I started to smile, but then I saw what he'd said. The four dreaded words.

_We need to talk._

Shit.

_What's up?_ My hands were shaking as I typed. He couldn't be breaking up with me, could he? I didn't know if my heart could take it. We've been dating for _three years_.

_I don't think I can do this anymore, Ames. I'm sorry…but I'm in love with someone else._

I stared blankly at the screen, my mind not able to process this latest nugget of information. Then I thought, no. This is not going to happen through text message. I hit his speed-dial number and waited for him to pick up. My fingers drummed on the armrest.

"Hello?"

"Who?" I demanded.

"Amy – "

"Who is it?" I was desperately trying to keep my voice from trembling.

A deep breath on the other line, then: "…Sinead."

I nearly dropped the phone.

Instead, I just hung up on him. Before I could stop it, a single sob escaped before tears started streaming down my face.

Ian glanced at me, then seemed to really notice I was crying. He yanked out his ear buds and turned to me, concern in his eyes. "Love, what's wrong?"

"D-d-don't…" I couldn't even get a word out without stuttering. Which made me even more mad, considering I hadn't stuttered in quite a long time.

"Amy," Ian said. I looked up, startled he hadn't call me the L-word. His eyes bore into mine. "What is wrong?"

I sniffed, calmed down a little before answering. "Evan broke up with me."

He nodded, seeming to understand, but his jaw was clenched. Then he forced a smile on his face and gently rubbed my back.

"I don't know if this will help or not," he started, "but I know for a fact that if Tolliver can't see how completely amazing you are, he doesn't deserve you at all. And if you want, when we get back…" A genuine smile was now plastered on his face. "I can personally make sure he understands his mistake."

I smiled a small smile. "No, that's okay. I think we were starting to drift apart, anyway. Maybe it's for the best," I said. I sniffled again, then frowned. "He said he was in love with Sinead."

Ian hissed. Something in his face changed, and he chuckled. "I wonder what she'll do to him when she finds out."

I thought about that, then giggled. "Or Hamilton. You never know, some guys actually get defensive if another guy puts the moves on his girlfriend."

After a few more seconds, Ian asked, "But seriously, are you all right?"

I nodded. "I'm fine now." He seemed to see through my façade, though, because he pulled me into a hug. I immediately felt better, but had to wonder –

Since when did Ian become so…caring?

* * *

**YESSSS! It's finally happened! :DDDDD Evan sucks! AMIAN WILL PREVAIL! R&R, please! You know that beautiful blue button at the bottom makes me happy! So click it!**

**~Callie~**


	12. Chapter 11: Betrayal

**A/N: *Screams* Whooo! I actually posted within a week! Isn't that just exciting? :D Now, I have a question. And I want you to answer yourself BEFORE you read the following chapter. The question is: Do you like Eliza? Not as in character-wise, but as a character in the story itself, like her personality and such. Do YOU think she's suspicious, like Amy does? Oh! I just remembered. *facepalms* I forgot to reply to reviews last time! So I'll do that now. Chapter 9's reviews are responded to up here, and I'll do Chappie 10's at the bottom ;)**

**TheUltimateArtist: Thanks :)**

**shiningwaves: No, I wasn't kidnapped, thank goodness. I just had a teeny-tiny case of writer's block. And grounded, you say? Well, that hasn't happened yet, so... :P**

**fieryjunior35: Hey, you're from the MB, right? I recognize your username! :D**

**And now for the disclaimah!**

**Me: Who haven't I called on yet...? Erm...Amy! Yess, the bookworm, not unlike myself ;D**

**Amy: Um...yeah?**

**Me: Are you nice enough to do the disclaimer for me? Pleeeease? *smiles***

**Amy: I guess. MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own The 39 Clues.**

**Me: Thanks. You are DEFINITELY nicer than the others. *glares at Natalie***

* * *

Chapter 11: Betrayal

Dan stood in front of the Boryspil International Airport, hands on hips. "Hmmm…I deem this land worthy of the Ninja Lord's presence!"

I smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Dan, hush. Look." I pointed at a nearby building. Dan's mouth dropped open.

"Holy…that's awesome!"

"And look at that one over there," Ian said, pointing to one across the street.

"Yep. They're so cool. Now we'd better get going if we want to avoid being spotted," Eliza said. She started walking without waiting for us to reply.

"What's with boss-bag?" Dan asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. But I guess we should follow her anyway. She looks like she knows where she's going."

We ran after our 'bodyguard,' who I disliked more and more by the second.

I leaned over to Ian as we slowed to a walk. "Do you recognize her yet?"

Ian shook his head, obviously frustrated. "I can't put my finger on it. It'll click into place eventually." But he didn't look so sure of himself.

Eliza stopped in front of an old seven-story building, which looked too run-down to even get through the doorway without it collapsing on top of you.

"Here we are!" she said cheerily, which was out of character for her. "I'll lead the way."

_Like you weren't before_, I thought.

The smile on her face made me extra cautious. First she acted like this: "I'm in a bad mood and if you mess with me, I'll tear your face off."

Now she's all nice and peppy. _There's something going on here…_

_No_, I thought. _If Fiske sent her, she's obviously on our side. There's no way she could possibly be –_

Next thing I knew, I was being shoved into a room that smelled of mildew and mouse poop. Then the lights shut off, and the three of us – yeah, Eliza disappeared somewhere – were surrounded by complete and utter blackness.

The lights turned back on a few minutes later, and we were surrounded by a dozen armed Ukrainian policeman, all pointing stun guns at us.

"Oh, great," Dan groaned.

But the worst part was the person standing directly in front of me.

"Hello, children," Isabel purred.

Ian sucked in a breath.

"Happy to see me?" Isabel said. "I knew you would be! Oh, that reminds me. I'd like you to meet my…partner in crime, you could say."

And that's when Eliza, our so-called 'bodyguard', stepped out from behind the police unit.

That's when I got mad. "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me."

Ian's head shot up. "Now I recognize her! I am such an _idiot_ for not noticing sooner!"

"Indeed," Dan said in a mock-British accent. "Who is she?"

"Her name isn't Eliza Littman. This is Thalia Kabra, my cousin. My father's brother's daughter."

"Hello, Ian," Eli – no, Thalia – said. Now _she_ was speaking with a British accent.

Ian visibly clenched his teeth.

"Also, darlings, there's no need to get the artifacts for me anymore," Isabel said. She grinned evilly. "I've already found their location. And I intend to get them before you do."

I gasped. "You _what_?"

"As I was saying," she continued, "There is no need for any further assistance."

"Wait," Dan said. "Just tell us one thing. How does this all connect to Vernadsky?"

"Oh! Dear child, that was merely a setup to keep you off-track," Isabel said with a laugh.

I turned to Ian, my anger rising. "I thought you said it was a lead!"

Ian yelled back, "So did I!"

"Settle down! I placed that file in the perfect location, as I knew my son would eventually find it," Isabel said. "It was all made up."

Ian shook with fury. "I am not your son anymore."

"Of course not, darling," Isabel said, waving it off. "Now. Anymore questions? No? Good. I'll see you again after I have what I'm after. Ciao!"

She and her thirteen minions followed her out the door. We stood in stunned silence. Dan was the first to snap out of it.

"Well, let's not stand here like morons! Get her!"

We ran out the unlocked door and raced down the front steps of the building. All three of our heads turned as our eyes followed the black SUV down the street.

"Great!" Dan threw his hands up. "Now what're we supposed to do?"

We all looked around, and Ian said, "I've got it." His eyes moved to a sleek black motorcycle, parked next to a dark blue Coupe. "Are either of you opposed to Grand Theft Auto?" We shook our heads. "Perfect. Dan, you can take the car."

"Whoo!"

"Amy," Ian said, turning to me. "You've ridden a motorcycle before, haven't you?"

"Um…I guess," I said. It wasn't exactly a lie, but the last time I'd been on one was in Russia with _Dan_ driving, so I can easily say it wasn't a pleasant experience. But I really didn't have a choice.

"Well, then…" Ian said, hotwiring both vehicles. He put on a big smile. "Let's ride."

* * *

**OOOOOOH! :DDDD I just LOVE the next chapter! Well, of course I do, because I like riding motorcycles. Ahh, didn't know THAT tidbit about me, did ya? :P Replies!**

**shiningwaves: Lol :) I think there is...I heard of a train accident and a whole bunch of it escaped into the air from the train...**

**magicdemi-god223: I already PMed you about this, lol XD**

**Guest 1: Thanks for reading :D**

**Guest 2: Thanks! I've been trying to improve my writing.**

**Evil Bunnies Dominate: Okay, I have to say it. I FREAKING LOVE YOUR USERNAME! XD**

**~Callie~**


	13. Chapter 12: Motorcycle

**A/N: OH MY GOD! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry I haven't updated! I have been legitimately busy! (No, shiningwaves, I wasn't kidnapped or anything :P) School has cut my writing time by at least two-thirds, and the weekends are all backed up. It wasn't even the laziness this time! Isn't that shocking? And this might be a semi-short chapter, but I HAD to post SOMETHING!**

**Me: JONAH! GET YOUR RAPPIN' BUTT IN HERE!**

**Jonah: Wassup, yo?**

**Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah, just hurry up and do the disclaimer so my deprived readers can READ.**

**Jonah: MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own Da 39 Clues. Why you so wound up, dawg?**

**Me: *facepalm* Don't call me dawg. Ever.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Motorcycle

As soon as I sat on the backseat of the motorcycle, I got nervous as hell.

1) I've never really been a fan of them.

2) I've only been on one when Dan was driving. At age 11.

3) I was extremely afraid of falling off the sides or back.

So, I wasn't exactly anxious to hop on one at the moment, but I didn't really have a choice. Plus, I wasn't wearing a helmet, which didn't help.

"Left!" I called out. Ian swerved to miss a car occupied by two ninety-year-old Ukrainians.

"It's not like I don't know what I'm doing, love!" Ian shouted back.

"Don't call me – ah!" I closed my eyes and prepared for the crash with another cyclist, but no sound of metal hitting pavement met my ears. "Just watch where you're going!" I yelled.

Dan honked from behind us in his little stolen car. He was obviously enjoying himself.

We hit a straight stretch of road, occupied by fewer cars. We could still see the black SUV in the distance, but we weren't gaining any ground.

"Woo-hoo!" Ian said. It stunned me because…well, I guess I'd never really seen Ian _enjoy_ himself before.

Once we were out of the big city, I opened my eyes again. The wind whipped my hair back and I no longer felt like I was going to fall off and/or die. In fact…this was _fun_. I looked ahead at the country in front of us, to the sides of us. It all zoomed by so fast, and I had all but forgotten the chase for the moment. It was just exhilarating.

Ian had apparently noticed my lack of back seat driving, because he shouted, "Having fun?"

"Absolutely!" Then I remembered. "But go faster! We don't want to lose her."

Dan honked again. I turned just enough in my seat so I could see his face. It wasn't one of excitement, like I'd expected to see. He was pointing anxiously at something up ahead. I turned back around and looked in the direction he'd been pointing. At first I didn't see anything, but if I squinted…

I groaned and thought, _crap_. A sleek black helicopter had just landed in a field about two miles away. Painted on the side was a big K.

"Family helicopter," Ian said over the noise. "One of the fastest in the world. If she takes off before we reach her, there is no way we will beat her to the artifacts, wherever Jonah hid them." Ian twisted the throttle as far as it would go, but we didn't go any faster. Then it started coughing and spluttering, like only a motorcycle could. We slowed to a stop on the side of the road, out of gas, and still a half-mile away. The SUV had just pulled next to the chopper.

Dan pulled in behind us. "What's the matter? She's _leaving_!"

By now, Isabel had climbed into the helicopter. I saw her flash a smile at us, wave, and close the door. The copter rose into the sky, leaving us to stare as it disappeared from view.

Dan threw his hands up in frustration. "Great! Now what're we supposed to do?"

Ian whipped out his cell phone. "The only thing we can do. We're calling Jonah."

He keyed in our cousin's number and waited. Then it beeped.

Ian glanced at the screen and growled. "No signal."

I looked at Dan. "We have to drive back to the city, where there's cell service."

Dan sighed, then gestured to his car. "All right, lovebirds, hop in. I'm driving."

Before I could ask what he meant by 'lovebirds', Ian said, "There is no way in hell I'm letting you drive with me in the car. You get the backseat."

He shot Dan a smug look before he could protest and slid into the driver's seat.

"After you, Mrs. Kabra."

"What's with all the 'lovebird' jokes?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Dan laughed, but didn't answer, and instead walked to the car. I huffed and decided to join them when Ian started the engine and honked impatiently. He pulled off the road, made a U-turn, and we were on our way back to the city.

* * *

**Viola! I have presented to you the chapter that took me two weeks to write! -.- Reply time!**

**magicdemi-god223: I forgot about them? O.O That's embarrassing. Let's just say they were in the SUV with Isabel ;) You know, just...not using their weapons for some reason...**

**Guest: OMG! HEY VANESSA! Long time no see :D Thanks! I haven't been on the MB much, so I haven't gotten the chance to check the contest. Did you post the next round?**

**X-MelodiesOfTheSakuraTree-X: Thanks for reading! I also feel privileged that mine was the first 39 clues fanfic you've read XD**

**MissMillionaire1: Thanks! I'm probably going to wait and post it after I've completely finished writing it, though. It's easier that way.**

**Lee's Descendant: Really? My version is better? That makes me feel happy, because I kinda-sorta based Amy and Dan (in this particular story) off of different sides of myself. The ninja-loving, still immature, video-game playing Dan in this fanfic is one part of me, and the slightly sarcastic, bookworm version of Amy is the other part.**

**All right! R&R please! A special thanks to all my new readers!**

**~Callie~**


	14. Chapter 13: Jonah

**A/N: Ohmahgosh! I'm sorry I dropped off the face of the Earth! It's not my fault, though, I swear! The evil unicorns tied me to a boat and sent me out to sea, where I then proceded to fall off the edge :P Kidding, but seriously. I've had unicorns on the brain. I think it's because I wrote a story based off my friends at school, and they're all weird characters, like two of them are unicorn keepers-of-the-peace, one's a cabbage, it's just SUPER messed up, and...wait. LIGHTBULB! I could rewrite it and turn it into a 39 Clues fic! Haha! YES! Review immediately if you would read it! XD**

**Amy: Absolutely not.**

**Me: Awwww. But you were gonna be the main character. And purple! Don'tcha wanna be purple?**

**Amy: ...No.**

**Well, then. Guess she doesn't wanna be purple. Or shoot rainbow lasers out of her horn.**

**Amy: Wait, what?**

**Me: No! It's too late! You've tainted my genius with your lies!**

**Amy: Um...If you give me lasers out of my eyes, too...**

**Me: I SHALL POST THE UNICORN STORY. Now, one more favor.**

**Amy: What?**

**Me: Help me end this super long author's note and do the disclaimer PWEASE?**

**Amy: MrsJoshHutcherson112 does not own The 39 Clues series or Skype.**

**Me: The Sprout Army shall be released within a fortnight!**

**Amy: What?**

* * *

Chapter 13: Jonah

"Jonah? Jonah!"

Ian threw his cell phone on the ground. "Damn reception. Do they not have any in Ukraine?"

"Ian, calm down. Don't break your phone," I said. "For now, let's just check into a hotel and hope they have wi-fi so we can Skype him or something."

"And what if they don't? Isabel is going to reach the artifacts before us, and there is nothing we can do about it! We lose. We'll always lose," Ian said.

This caught me a little off guard. What was with the sudden mood swings?

"Look," I said. "This whole 'we already lost' attitude isn't helping at all. As soon as we – "

"Why can't you just accept it?" Ian snapped. "She's too good. If she's already on her way to steal the artifacts, there is no way we can stop her, not even by calling or Skyping Jonah. And if we manage to get a hold of him at all, what are we going to do next? It's over, Amy."

"And if there's still a possibility we _can_, then I'm not going to give up!" I shouted. We were nose-to-nose now.

"Whoa, whoa, back up," Dan said. He casually stepped in between us and pushed us away from each other. "Why don't we just take a deep breath, huh? That's right, Ian, breathe. Okay, how about we listen to the voice of reason, here."

"Thank-you, Dan," I said.

Dan waggled a finger at me. "I'm not talking about you, sis. Sorry, but this time, it's me."

Ian scoffed.

"We're going to check into a hotel, all right? Then, we can see if it's possible to Skype Jonah. If not, _then_ we can give up, okay?" At our nods, Dan exhaled and chuckled. "Man! Things escalate quickly with you two, don't they?"

"Okay, the hotel has wi-fi," Dan said. He pulled out his computer. "So let's try to contact Jonah."

He pulled up the Skype bubble on his laptop and clicked on Jonah's username. We waited.

Jonah's worried face popped up on the screen. "Erm, guys? Why is Ian's freaky mom watching us through binoculars?"

"What?!" came our three simultaneous replies.

"Yeah, I'll show you," he said. He turned his laptop toward a window, and on the opposite side of the street we saw a black limo parked in front of a café. Inside the back window, we could barely make the outline of a person holding binoculars, seemingly looking straight at us. "See?"

"Jonah, tell us where exactly you hid the artifacts," I said urgently.

Jonah looked sheepish. "I didn't actually hide them…"

"Then where are they?" Ian asked.

"They're with me in my hotel room. We're in Paris right now."

I looked at Ian. It seemed we were both wondering the same thing – how did Isabel get to another country so fast, even with the speedy helicopter?

I shook my head. That answer wasn't important right now. "How long has she been there?"

"Um…about ten minutes," Jonah said. "Wait…she's coming! She just got out of the limo."

My palms started to sweat. "What's she doing?"

"Walking towards the entrance."

"Jonah, you have to get out of there!" Dan shouted.

"There's no where to go, yo. I'm on the fourth floor!"

"Who's with you?" I asked.

As if to answer my question, Hamilton's face appeared on the screen. "Wassup, homies?"

Jonah looked at Hamilton with shock and disgust. "You are not allowed to say that again. Ever."

"Guys!" Dan said. "Concentrate on escaping!"

On screen, a door in the background burst open, and in poured the twelve Ukrainian guards we'd seen earlier. They parted, allowing Isabel Kabra to emerge from the doorway. Jonah slammed his laptop closed, and our Skype call disconnected.

"What do we do now?" Ian asked me.

_That's a very good question_, I thought.

"Uh…" I was drawing a blank.

"Isn't it obvious?"

We turned to look at Dan.

"We go to Paris and help out our buddies. After all, we've got the fastest ways of travel at our fingertips," Dan said. He smiled. "I've heard rumors that the Madrigals have built an even faster helicopter than the Lucians. Let's see if those rumors are true."

* * *

**OOOH! :3 Interesting... But I do have another surprise for you all. It's my apology for not posting and letting the unicorns sneak up on me like that... I've written a bonus chapter.**

**Now, this isn't just an ordinary bonus chapter. Do you remember how I said this entire story would be in Amy's POV? I didn't exactly tell the truth. The next 'chapter' is in Isabel's POV.**

***cue the ominous music***

**...**

***I said cue the ominous music!***

**Dun, dun, DUN!**

**That's better. (In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit insane today. Feel free to review about that, too.)**

**Reply Time!**

**Lee's Descendant: I miss that Dan too :'( It's sad, what he's become. But to me, he's still the awesome, ninja-loving eleven-year-old inside :')**

**Guest: Yeah, but remember, Ian likes it ;) haha**

**v1isgoingdown: Awwwww, now you've got me curious! At least give me a hint! :D**

**Sadie A. Cahill: Thanks! ;D Here's more. **

**Alright, guys (and gals)! I'mma post the bonus chapter now! (I'm not counting it as a new chapter, though. It's just a bonus.) R&R and all that!**

**~Callie~**


	15. Bonus Chapter: Isabel

**Disclaimer: I don't own The 39 Clues. Or the previously mentioned unicorns. Well, maybe I do, because I created them, but...nevermind. Just read.**

***And I know the Jubilee was a set-up, blah blah, it's not actually one of the artifacts, but whatever. I'm just sticking to the way this story was originally meant to be written.**

* * *

*Bonus Chapter*

"Ah, Jonah, Hamilton. It's nice to see you both again," Isabel said. She smiled. "But I believe you've been keeping something from me."

She saw Jonah's eyes dart to the closet on the other side of the room, then flick back to her just as fast. He was gripping the table tightly. Oh, it was good to be a Lucian.

Isabel moved over to the closet, and when the boys tried to stop her, the guards aimed their guns at them. They stopped advancing.

She opened the door and laughed with delight. The artifacts were all there; every single one of them. She picked up the diamond and held it up to the light, making it sparkle.

"I really must thank you, dears," Isabel said. "If it weren't for your cell phones, I never would have been able to track you. And now that I have the treasures, I'm afraid I must be off. I would stay and chat, but I've got a helicopter to catch. Tah-tah!"

As Isabel headed for the door, smiling triumphantly, a flash caught her eye and she turned toward the blonde one. Faster than she could move, something slashed her across the shoulder and the silver pen dropped to the floor, along with the items in her arms. The guards all swooped in to grab at them, but they just blocked the objects from her view.

She stood and shrieked, "Get out of the way, you fools!"

As she dived into the middle of the fray, the two Cahill boys ran out the door. She didn't give it a second thought, however, until she noticed that the guards were grabbing at nothing, and the artifacts were gone.

Immediately, her thoughts went back to the rap-star and sports fanatic. They had probably grabbed the artifacts and left when they got the chance.

Isabel grabbed a policeman by the shoulders and yanked him off the floor, pushed him to the door. "Go after them! I have a phone call to make."

After she was the only one left in the room, she whipped out her cell phone and hit the number 4 speed dial. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hello, darling. How are you?"

"What do you want?" the man on the other line snarled. She laughed.

"No need to be nasty, Vikram. I'm calling in a favor you owe me," she said.

Vikram huffed. "And what exactly do I owe you?"

"I need you to find your son. Get him to trust you, gather whatever information he may have. But bear in mind, though he is a weak-minded fool, he is not stupid," Isabel said.

"And why should I even consider doing this for you after what you did to me?"

"Stop living in the past and do as I say. I am still your wife, after all." Isabel smiled, knowing he couldn't refuse.

A sigh on the other line. "Fine. I will do as you ask. But not because you are my wife. In fact, I have the divorce papers filed and ready for your signature," Vikram said.

Isabel sucked in a breath. "What?"

"I'm divorcing you." _Click._

Her phone dropped to the floor and she screamed in frustration. Nobody _ever_ dared to double-cross her. Nobody.

* * *

**DIVORCE! *le gasp!* :O Ooooopsies...haha jk I'm not sorry ;D**

**Hope you enjoyed that little insight! Remember: This doesn't count as an actual chapter. The next time I post, it will be called Chapter 14, not 15. It is a BONUS!**

**Readers: WE GOT IT!**

**Me: ...Whoa. Y'all jus' got fiesty!**

**I'll post sooner than last time, I promise!**

**Readers: Your promises don't mean anything!**

**Me: SHUT UP! T.T I'm trying!**

**~Callie~**

**P.S. Randomness and semi-insanity is good for the brain.**


	16. Chapter 14: Helicopter

**A/N: Alrighty! New chapter! Woopee! Haha. Wow. I just re-read the author's notes from my previous chapter, and let me tell you... It was pretty frickin' weird, even for me. And no, in case you're wondering, I'm NOT changing my unicorn story into a 39 Clues fic. That would ruin it, and I DON'T want that to happen, not even to something as stupid as that. But I'm posting it on FictionPress soon, so be on the lookout for it! But only if you want to read something idiotic and fast-paced. It is so poorly written, I laughed. XD **

**Anywho, I'm just going to get to the point. It's disclaimer time!**

**Me: Hey!**

***No answer***

**Me: HEY!**

***Still no answer***

**Me: Okay, I found them, but they're all cowering in a corner, hiding from my fangirly insanity, so I'll do the disclaimer this time. I don't own The 39 Clues. And did you know I met Ian Kabra yesterday?**

* * *

Chapter 14: Helicopter 

"Thank you so much, Emily," I said. "This helps a lot."

"No prob, Amy. Just don't crash it," she said. I ended the call.

"Who was that?" Ian asked.

"Emily Martella. She's a fellow Madrigal," I explained. "The helicopter will be here in about ten minutes."

"I'm guessing they stored the helicopter at the base in the Netherlands?" Dan asked. I nodded.

"It's a good thing, too. If it was at the Easter Island base, we'd never have a chance at reaching Jonah and Ham in time," I said. Then my phone beeped. "Speaking of which…"

I accepted the call. "What happened, Jonah?"

He sounded out of breath when he spoke. "We got away with the artifacts, but she's hot on our heels. When you getting here?"

"The _Mini Lemur_ is on its way," I explained.

"Good. Where do you wanna meet up?" Hamilton said from behind Jonah.

"I'll call you when we get there. Just don't let her catch you," I said.

"Roger that," Jonah said, then ended the call.

"'Roger that'," Ian mused. "Such a cliché line…"

A loud chopping sound filled the air and the three of us looked up. As soon as the rotors came into view over the hill, Dan started running for it. "Come on, slowpokes! We've got cousins to save!"

Ian smiled at me. "I think we should follow him. He seems to know what he's doing."

I returned the smile. "For once."

"You know," he started, "I've always wanted to – "

"HEY!"

He spun around. The helicopter was now on the ground, blades spinning, with a 16-year-old dweeb just inside the door waving frantically at us. "LET'S GO, YOU TWO!"

I took off at a run, Ian following closely behind.

"Jonah, we just landed. Where are you?" I asked.

"We made it to the Eiffel Tower. She followed us, so we had to climb it. We're cornered at the top; she's on the last flight of stairs."

Ian snatched the phone out of my hand. "Didn't you have the foresight to know it was a bad idea to go _up_?"

I grabbed my phone back and shot him a look. "Ian, shut up. If you were running from her, you'd probably do the same thing." I returned my attention to Jonah. "We'll come get you."

"How? We're almost 1,000 feet high," Jonah said.

I looked back at our transportation. "Cahills always find a way," I said. I hung up. "So…looks like we're flying to the top of the Eiffel Tower."

"Yep. Now, let's get to it, shall we?" Dan said.

"Are you imitating me again?" Ian asked.

"Wow. And you say _you're_ the smart one," Dan replied with a roll of his eyes. "To answer your question, yes, I was imitating you, but now, I'm climbing into a super fast helicopter that's going to help us save the world for the millionth time in five years. Are you going to join me?"

Ian sighed. "Well, I suppose…"

I laughed.

"Uh oh," Dan said. "Look."

We were hovering out of sight, parallel to the top platform of the tower. I looked across the sky and cringed. Isabel was slowly walking towards our cousins, who were crowding as closely as possible to the railing. I tapped Ian and pointed at the sight. His eyes widened.

"Fly lower. She'll spot us. Move a little bit closer… There. Now fly up. Fast." Ian directed the pilot while I watched the scene below. When Isabel saw the helicopter, her eyes seemed to bore into mine as she glared.

"Amy, do we have a…a ladder of some sort?" Ian asked. "Something to lower down to them so they can get up here."

We searched the tiny room of the aircraft, and I frequently glanced out the window. So far, Isabel wasn't making any moves, but I could tell she was trying to rush it.

"Got it!" Dan said. He handed the rope ladder to Ian, who opened the door and threw it out to them. As soon as the ladder unfurled, Jonah and Hamilton both jumped for it. Isabel jumped after them, but her hands grabbed only air. She fell through the air.

I gasped and turned to see Ian's reaction, but his face was expressionless. He saw my puzzled look and said, "Believe me, that's not the last we'll see of her."

His statement was confirmed when a huge red parachute opened up and suspended Isabel in the air. She glided swiftly above the city.

"Um, a little help here?"

I grabbed Jonah's hand, Ian grabbed the other, and we hauled him up over the side, into the helicopter. He collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. Hamilton soon followed, and the helicopter door shut with a _thump_.

"You guys okay?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. We were almost toast, though," Jonah replied.

"She had just pulled a dart gun on us when you guys decided to show up," Hamilton said.

"Well, now that that's over, did you manage to keep the artifacts away from her?" Ian inquired.

That's when Jonah smiled. He shook off his backpack and opened it. "Let me tell you, these things were _not_ very fun to carry around. They were _extremely_ heavy."

* * *

**So, that's it. It was a longer chappie than most. Replies! I've noticed a lot of others reply to reviews by PMing them, but I find that I'm too lazy to do that, so I just stick to the reply-when-posting thing. But then I have to save my replies for when I post, and we ALL know that usually takes a while.**

**Shimmering Icicles: Haha, thanks :) I'm glad you agree with me. And the A/N's are probably the most fun part to write.**

**Now, about the whole 'meeting Ian Kabra' thing. I didn't actually meet HIM. BUT, I met someone that looks JUST LIKE HIM! There are some differences, though. He's super nice. His name is Felipe. He has an accent, but not a British one. The similarities: He is H-O-T. And smart. And you know, being my fangirly self, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to speak to Ian's doppleganger, so I did. I was awesome, I have to say :P**

**I have also been bombarded with ideas for new stories and one-shots. Hopefully some of those will be posted soon :)**

**~Callie~**


	17. Rant Time!

**Hey, guys. This is one of those annoying author's notes that apologize for not posting and then warn you about another long wait.**

**My computer crashed. First it wouldn't let me access the internet, then when my mom tried to fix it, she just screwed it up even more. Now it acts like it's about to start up and then repeatedly shuts down. I can't get to my saved chapters, and I can't get on the internet to post them anyway. We're having a computer guy come and fix it, but I don't know when that will be. But I promise that as soon as it's fixed, I'll post again! (I'm typing this on my mom's laptop, by the way, in case you were wondering.)**

**I'm so sorry, everybody! I've been DYING to post for DAYS now, but there's honestly nothing I can do except sit here and pout until my computer magically comes back to life. So until then, I bid you farewell :'( I hate putting sad faces like that. It makes me feel bad inside.**

**See you all soon! (hopefully)**

**~A-Very-Pissed-Off-Ekat-That-Can't-Even-Fix-Her-Own-Laptop~**


	18. Chapter 15: Surprises

**A/N: Hey, guys! Long time, no see, huh? So, my computer's fixed...halfway. Word works, and so does Solitaire, but that's about it :P Ever since my mom installed a new wireless printer, its wi-fi signal interferes with our router, and every time I try to connect to our router, it switches back to the printer, which doesn't allow me to get on the internet. I have to type it all up AGAIN on my mom's computer and post from there. But hey, I'm desperate at this point, so it's worth the time it takes :) It's just more difficult.**

**Anyway, this chapter is the longest yet, even if it doesn't seem like it. I made this special, because you guys are _so_ awesome! If you asked me, I'd say this is a pretty productive chapter :P Reviews!**

**Shimmering Icicles: There are no words to describe how much I hate her. It's a good thing she's just a book character :P**

**Goth Bookworm: I think everyone wants to hurt her :) Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**readinfreak3546: Oh my gosh, really? Thanks! :D**

**shiningwaves: Sorry for the wait :/ I hated not being able to post. When you said something needed to happen, did you mean something like this? Lol :P**

**Kitty in Boots: If I'm a spy, someone forgot to tell me! As far as I know, I'm an Ekat ;) But you never know. I might be a Janus...**

**Shimmering Icicles (again): Caps lock is only good when they're telling you how awesome your story is ;) but I understand.**

**breakingart: I'm so sorry! I haven't stopped posting there, I COULDN'T post there, because of my computer :/ But hello, fellow MBer :D**

**Annabethandpercylover: You will like this chapter, then :)**

**Mwagner11: That's good, then :) The only reason I did that so early in the story is because it set up the rest of the plot-line, though.**

**Alrighty, then. It's time to disclaim this chapter. (I haven't done this in so long! .)**

**Amy: Why did you have to do this today?**

**Me: Do what?**

**Amy: You know...this chapter...**

**Me: Oh! Because I felt like it.**

**Amy: *face-palms* Well, I'm not going to stick around to watch the peoples' reactions. See ya.**

**Me: Wait! No! Come back! You have to do the disclaimer! *sighs* Nevermind. I don't own The 39 Clues. Now, enjoy the chapter that so much thought was put in to! :D**

* * *

Chapter 15: Surprises

I was leaning over the hotel bathroom sink, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I had obviously not gotten enough sleep the past few days, and it showed. The bags under my eyes justified that. I turned on the cold-water faucet and splashed water on my face. I grabbed the towel and dried myself off before walking out. That's when I saw Ian.

He was looking directly at his computer screen, but his expression was a mixture of frustration and sadness. He was talking to his laptop, which I thought was weird until I saw the video chat. I couldn't quite make out who he was talking to, but I could distinctly hear a girl's voice.

"Ian, you have to trust the fact that maybe he was right to some extent."

"But you can't expect me to believe – " Ian was cut off by the other person.

"You have to. Or we'll all be disappointed in the end." With a start I realized Ian was talking to his sister, who none of us had heard from for a long time.

"What do you think I should do about it, then?" Ian snapped. "You apparently know everything."

A pause from Natalie. Ian still hadn't noticed me eavesdropping from behind the bathroom door.

"Tell Amy. I believe she's smart enough to figure out what to do," Natalie replied.

That's when I revealed myself. "Tell me what?"

Ian whipped around and stood abruptly, knocking his chair over.

"Smooth, brother," Natalie said. "Very smooth."

"Erm..." Ian said. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not very long," I replied. "What were you two talking about?"

"Ian will explain. I think I'll just cut the connection now. Goodbye," Natalie said. The computer screen went dark.

I crossed my arms, waiting. "What's going on?" I demanded.

Ian looked uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I've been in contact with Natalie for a while now."

I became slightly agitated. "Why didn't you tell me? She might have been able to help."

"I thought it would be best if I kept it somewhat a secret until now. She's been...informing me," was his reply.

"Okay," I said impatiently. "What did she want you to tell me?"

Ian sighed and gestured to the bed. We sat down.

"Natalie found our father, Vikram, and tried to appeal to his merciful side, asking him to help us. Apparently, Isabel had already drawn him to _her_ side, though, and he was supposed to find me and gather information to pass on to her," Ian explained. "In fact, he _did_ find me. Pulled me aside to speak."

I tried to think of a time where Ian wasn't right next to us, but decided it wasn't important.

"He outright asked me where the artifacts were. Didn't even try to get me to trust him, like he was in a hurry. I refused to tell him, and when I did, he paled.

"He explained to me that no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't win. How Isabel was gathering her forces and was determined to succeed, no matter the cost. He even threw every possible scenario at me, everything that could happen, attempting to persuade me to give up."

"You acted like you were about to a few hours ago," I pointed out.

"That's not because of what he'd said then," Ian replied. "It's because of what he said afterward. One more scenario that sealed her victory."

Whatever Vikram had said, it had to be one of those close-to-the-end-of-the-world storied, because it had almost convinced one of the most stubborn people I had ever known to admit defeat. I scooted closer to better hear him.

"He said 'Her little army is already three times as big as your group. She raided a nearby Lucian stronghold and stole every dangerous weapon she could get her hands on. The first thing she will do is make sure you can't track her. Then her allies will pick you off one by one. You never know who she could have recruited; it might even be someone who seems to be on your side. The first one to go will most likely be the least close to you. They will disappear until only a few of you remain: you and the ones you love most. You will think you have a chance at winning, at preventing her from reaching her goals. But those people will disappear, Ian. And once they're eliminated, what will you have left? A few useless instruments and yourself. Nothing more.' Or something along those lines." The sadness I'd seen before crossed his features again. "Just the thought that what he said could be true..."

I laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," I said. He looked up at me.

"This is _Vikram_ we're talking about, who's supposed to be on Isabel's side. He's probably lying through his teeth," I reminded him.

"Yes, but what if he isn't?" Ian retorted. "I can't bear the thought of losing the only other people I love in the world. Natalie you...I've even started liking Daniel a little more over the past week or so!"

I giggled.

"But you three are the only real family I have left. I don't want to lose you," he said.

I managed to surprise both of us when I wrapped him in a hug. "You're not going to lose us. Ever."

After getting over the obvious shock of it, he returned my embrace, his arms tightening around me until it was almost hard to breathe, but I didn't care. I was holding onto him just as tightly. We sat like that for nearly five minutes before he let go of me and stared at the floor. "God, Amy, you're making this so much ore difficult."

I furrowed my eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I just can't bear the thought of losing you to Isabel again."

Confusion was now a metaphorical endless pit that I had just fallen into.

"I lost you once, five years ago in Korea. She had forced me to trap you in that cave, all because of the stupid clues. I lost you three years ago, after that horrid phone cal lthat left you brokenhearted. She had raided our family mansion and made me doubt myself. The I lost you a third time that same year, when I was accused of being the Vesper Mole. I don't intend to lose you. Not again. Not to her."

I didn't even have time to process the information before he kissed me.

It wasn't like one of those movie kisses where they have to tell the other how much they love them first. It wasn't a desperation kiss either, where it seems like they're scared of missing their chance to be with that person. No. This kiss was more forceful, like he'd been holding something back for an unbearably long time, yet at the same time, it was sot and passionate. At that moment, I felt as if he would never need to tell me he loved me. I already know. And I realized something in that moment. I realized exactly how much I loved him, too. I had always just suppressed the feeling, or pushed it aside. The routine seemed so stupid to me now.

Ian pulled me closer to him, and, if possible, intensified the kiss. I couldn't believe I had been so oblivious before. The signs had all been there; I'd just never noticed them before. Every mention of my ex-boyfriend's name had been met with a glower or mumble. All the times in the past whenever a reunion was being held and I would catch him looking at me. I guess even Dan and Nellie knew, which explained all the jokes. It seemed I was the only one who didn't notice. It was almost embarrassing, how oblivious I had been for the past five years. I had never known, yet I had always known. Which made absolutely no sense.

If Ian was at all surprised that I kissed him back with the same fierceness as he did, he didn't show it. Honestly, I don't even think the notion of air crossed his mind, because I had to break apart first, much to my frustration. We were both breathing heavily, and he rested his forehead on mine and smiled. "Now I'm _definitely_ not letting you go."

I grinned back at him "Like that's even a possibility."

Ian laughed shortly until he cupped my face with his hand and pulled me in again. This kiss didn't last nearly as long as the one before, but was more tender and gentle. Blissful.

Eventually, we both fell asleep.

I spent the night sleeping in his arms.

* * *

**BWAHAHA! It****'s so...FLUFFY! XD I can't stand it!**

**Review! :D**

**~Callie~**


	19. Chapter 16: Planning

**A/N: Oh, God.**

**Oh, God.**

**Oh, God.**

**There. Are. No. Words.**

**Disclaimer: ..._No words_...**

* * *

Chapter 16: Planning

I woke up to the sound of laughter.

My eyes fluttered open and I squinted against the sunlight streaming through the window, but the figure doubled over just in front of the doorway was unmistakable. I sat up quickly, jerking Ian awake at the same time.

"Dan!" I said. "What the hell are you doing?"

He held up a finger, telling me to wait until he calmed down enough to speak.

"You…you slept with…Cobra…HA!"

My cheeks flushed red and I hopped off the bed, smacking Dan on my way to the bathroom. I grabbed an extra set of clothes from my bag and locking the bathroom door.

_Dammit, Dan! Why do you have to do that?_ My thoughts were loud in my head and I couldn't shut them out.

Last night was so perfect, and now the memory was tainted because of my kid brother. He did that a lot, and frankly, I was sick of it, even though I knew there was nothing I could do about it.

I grabbed a towel from the rack above the sink and threw it over the top of the shower, cursing Dan's existence as I tried to busy myself with other things.

My shower lasted less than two minutes, as I didn't spend another 15 thinking about life and the mysteries of the universe like I normally do. I wanted to leave the hotel and get moving as soon as possible.

I walked out, fully clothed and still pissed, not meeting either boys' eyes as I walked around, picking up trash, throwing dirty clothes in their appropriate suitcases. For some reason, I was _still_ picking up after everybody. Ian made a move to help, but he saw the look on my face and decided to turn on the news instead.

Dan was sitting on a chair in the corner, occasionally smiling or shaking his head, letting out a few giggles here and there. I ignored him as best I could.

As soon as all three suitcases were by the door, I herded them down to the lobby.

Dan had protested at first. "Come on, Amy. We can take a short break."

"No," I insisted. "There's no time for breaks."

Only when Ian agreed with me did Dan falter and follow us out. He didn't go quietly, though. He kept muttering things about "lovebirds," and "sleeping beauties." It took all my mental strength not to smack him.

Ian pulled on my jacket sleeve and we hung back, letting Dan walk ahead. Then he slipped his hand in mine. The warmth seemed to melt some of my stress. I sighed.

"He's so annoying," I whispered. "This happens _all the time_."

Ian smirked. "That's because he doesn't have a girlfriend to do the same things with. Personally, I think he's jealous."

I laughed out loud, causing Dan to turn and look at us. He saw our linked hands, raised an eyebrow, and kept walking, snickering to himself. This time, I didn't care. I was just thinking about how funny it would be if Dan _were_ jealous.

We stopped at the other end of the hall. This was Jonah and Hamilton's room.

Dan knocked. "Hey, you guys ready?"

A groaning sound came from behind the door.

Dan pushed it open and Ian and I followed. Both Hamilton and Jonah were in their beds, half asleep.

"Guys!" I shouted. "You were supposed to be up an hour ago!"

Jonah rolled over, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry. Alarm clock didn't go off."

Hamilton snored, already back asleep.

I grabbed a pillow that had been randomly on the floor and threw it at him.

He sat up faster than I would've thought he could have. His eyes flew open and he noticed the three of us in the doorway.

"Oh," he said grumpily. "It's you."

Ian smiled politely. "Yes, we're so happy to see you too."

Hamilton glared at him and kicked off the comforter, finally getting up and stretching.

Jonah was heading for the bathroom, and when he fully opened his eyes, they widened some more.

"What's with…all that?" he asked, gesturing at us.

I looked at Ian, while Dan started laughing again. He waved Jonah closer and whispered something in his ear. Jonah grinned.

"Ah. Got it," he said, shutting the bathroom door.

I glared at Dan. "What did you say to him?"

"Oh, nothing, dear sister," he replied. "Just sharing a joke."

My other hand curled into a fist.

Ian rubbed his thumb in circles on my palm.

_Okay, okay, I'm calm now_.

Jonah emerged from the bathroom, changed and ready to go.

"So, any idea where your crazy mother is, Kabra?" he said.

Ian pulled his smartphone out of his pocket, opening some map app. He showed it to us. "It looks like she's on her way to London. Probably to the mansion."

Hamilton looked confused as he joined the circle. "Why would she go there?"

"The Lucian stronghold in the mansion would give her everything she'd need," Ian explained.

Hamilton's expression dropped. "That doesn't sound too good."

"It's not," Ian agreed. "Which is why we have to get to her before it's too late."

"So…what?" Dan said. "We've still got the helicopter. We just zip over to London and land in your backyard, all superhero-like and awesome? Then we bust down the doors, demand her surrender, and save the day again! WHOO! Sounds like a plan! Alright team, let's MOVE OUT!"

He raised a fist in the air and ran out the door.

"Um…" Ian started, "we are _not_ doing that, so you can get that idea out of your head right now."

Dan walked back in, his shoulders slumped.

"But we're still using the helicopter, right?" Hamilton asked.

"Of course," Ian said. "We'd never be able to reach her in time if we weren't."

"I don't know…Dan's plan sounds pretty sweet to me," Jonah said.

"It seems to me like you've all forgotten her little accomplice, Thalia," Ian pointed out. "Now we have two evil people to deal with."

"And this whole thing would be a lot easier if Nellie hadn't disappeared," I added. Everyone nodded.

"I hate the fact that she led us on with that stupid Vernadsky trail. How did she trick us like that?" Dan said.

"Well, technically, she tricked Ian. We just kinda followed his lead," Hamilton said, shrugging.

"How was I supposed to know it wasn't a lead?" Ian demanded.

"It seemed a bit too far-fetched, don't you think?" Jonah said.

"Our entire lives have seemed 'a bit too far-fetched,' now haven't they?" Ian said.

"Okay, everybody, it doesn't matter how far-fetched it seemed or how easily we fell for it. Right now, our main goal is to get to London. Are we all packed and ready?" I asked.

The four of them nodded.

"Then Dan, lead the way. I know how you love to pretend you're a superhero, so you go ahead and lead us to victory," I said sarcastically.

"Ninja," he corrected. "It's like you don't know me at all!"

* * *

**Personally, I hated writing this chapter because my inspiration had gone ka-put. The only reason I was able to finish it at all was because I kept asking myself the Inspirational Golden Rule of All 39 Clues Fanfictioners:**

**What Would Dan Do?**

**I made this rule up so that I would never, ever get writer's block or inspiration block again. WWDD is something everyone on this fandom can use for block! :D**

**All you really need to do is look back at the last chapter you wrote, look over it, and say... What Would Dan Do?**

**And BAM! :D**

**As you can guess, it was _so easy_ to write this chapter after I thought that :P**

**(I'm sorry it took me more than a month. That was the reason for my empty author's note up there ^.)**

**_There were no words_. **

**The next chapter will hopefully be more interesting. And will come faster than the last one :P**

**Replies!**

**Goth Bookworm: I remember your review when I first read it. It made me laugh so hard! :'D And yes, skittles do rule!**

**SongWithoutWords: Fangirl squeals are the things that give my parents nightmares. They think I'm getting crazier every day :P**

**Kitty in Boots: ...A month? Hopefully? I feel bad for not posting :/**

**Volcana4311: Thanks! :D**

**readinfreak3546: I almost cried while _writing_ it! :D**

**Hopefully I'll post sooner than normal, because CHRISTMAS BREAK IS HERE! You can probably expect more stories and one-shots, too. Goodbye, my wonderful friends! :'D**

**~Callie~**


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